The Biggest Stories Of The Week (August 10, 2013)

I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the summer gaming drought is almost over. The bad news is that the weekly recap drought is about to begin. This will be the last weekly recap for an entire month. I leave for Gamescom in Germany next weekend and with only two days respite, I'm back on the road to PAX in Seattle. I know you'll miss me the recaps, but absence makes the heart grow fonder... or fungus... one of those.

Three important details about the Xbox One

This week, Microsoft revealed three new things about the Xbox One, helping to fill in the picture of the system's November release. First up, we learned that the Game DVR functions are going to be behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall. This shouldn't come as a surprise given all the things already squirreled away back there. Microsoft also confirmed to Game Informer (again) that the console will buffer five minutes of video at 720p and 30 frames per second.

What's interesting is that they weren't yet able (or willing) to answer how capture would be handled if you start recording in advance of playing. For instance, if I want to record a "let's play" video, I'm not sure if that's possible yet. Perhaps Microsoft will be leaning on the Twitch integration and that service's storage for those functions. Hopefully, we'll know more about this from Gamescom.

Next up, Microsoft surprised us by reversing course on the inclusion of a headset. The Xbox One will come with a chat headset, assuaging some of the issues inherent with a live mic being used for conversing with friends (and foes). The headset is the same one that can be purchased separately. There's no word yet on timing or price of an adapter that will enable use of existing chat devices.

Finally, Microsoft clarified how game sharing will work. The best news is that, with the establishment of one "home console," all users on that box can access Gold services. This includes Netflix and other paid apps, multiplayer gaming, Game DVR, and all of the game, music, and movie content on that machine. The way licenses are handled is a bit of a change from the Xbox 360, and for more information on those nuances, head on over to that story for the details.